The Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States (Artist: Chris Owen)

Biography

Byron White was born and raised in Colorado. He attended the University of Colorado on a scholarship. He graduated first in his class and held varsity letters in football, basketball, and baseball. "Whizzer" White played professional football for a year with the Pittsburgh Pirates football team.

White won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, and then returned to the United States to complete a law degree at Yale. He combined his law classes with football, playing for the Detroit Lions. Upon graduation from Yale, White clerked for Chief Justice Fred Vinson. Thereafter, White returned to Colorado and engaged in private law practice.

White organized the Colorado presidential campaign for John F. Kennedy. Kennedy appointed White deputy attorney general in 1961. A year later, Kennedy selected White for a position on the Supreme Court.

White acquired a reputation for moderation during the heyday of Warren Court liberalism and egalitarianism. Though the membership of the Court has shifted in White's direction, he has not managed to articulate a comprehensive philosophy and lead his fellow justices.